Luke’s Lobster

I said it in New York and I will say it again for Chicago. This place never disappoints. When I bite into one of these bitches I think «Dam that’s good» and when its all gone I get very sad.
Love it.

I was so excited to try this place and it was pretty good! It definitely satisfied my lobster cravings but it is a bit pricey! I got the lobster roll combo with the lobster bisque. The lobster rolls I ate at different restaurants were warm so I was a bit surprised when it was cold. I wished they gave a side of butter sauce to make the roll that much better. I think I prefer my lobster a little warm/​toasted instead of cold. The roll was stuffed with large pieces of meat so that was definitely a plus! The bisque was pretty good! I didn’t expect large pieces of lobster in the bisque so that was a pleasant surprise! In total I believe I spent $ 26 for the combo which comes with a roll, soup, chips or slaw, and a drink!
The atmosphere of this restaurant is really cute and intimate. It’s not the best for huge parties but with one or two other people is best! I really like how they tell you where their seafood came from that day. They also have a PUNCH CARD! Make sure to get one!
Hope this review helps! Enjoy your lobstaa :)!

One of the best lobster rolls you will ever have. Pieces of lobster large enough to know you’re really eating lobster and not some deceiving substitute. I’ll be back next time I’m in Chicago. Oh, the blueberry soda was delightful. I bought an extra bottle to take home in my checked luggage. It leaked. Transport with caution.

Decided to get Luke’s because it’s really close to the Daley center for my jury duty.
The atmosphere is really maine-​ish style. More like a boat type feel to it. THe menu is on a chalkboard so the prices can vary each day. The cool thing is that they tell you exactly where their shrimp, lobster, and crab is coming from.
I tried the lobster roll and shrimp roll. At first, it seemed smaller than what the Unilocal pictures portrayed, but there’s a lot of meat in the rolls. They didn’t put too much mayo which was a good thing and at the table they’ve condiments including old bay seasoning.
I’ve had Da Lobsta before and i feel that Luke’s lobster that they’ve better bread and provide more lobster/​shrimp. The bread i felt is a lot better than da lobsta as well. Da lobsta does have lobster mac n cheese which is amazing that Luke’s lobster does not have. They’ve a grilled cheese option. Another cool thing about Luke’s lobster is that in their sides menu they’ve an option to have extra lobster claws for $ 4. Not too bad if you want more lobster.
If i come back to the loop, i would def go to Luke’s lobster again.

Both the Lobster and Shrimp roll are fantastic. Considering the price of lobster at the fishmonger, Meijers or Jewel the prices are fair. The lobster is fresh, tasty and the ratio of lobster to roll is perfect. If you are famished and have a big appetite consider having a bowl of soup (clam chowder is wonderful) to take the edge off your appetite because at 16.00 each you want to savor the lobster roll.
Service was pleasant and very good, the décor was nice with a chalkboard showing the origin of the fish and the place was spotless, really clean!
I can go on about how delicious the lobster roll was but you won’t know until you taste it yourself. For me it was a transformative experience — quality and deliciousness are more important than quantity. Sometimes I fall asleep thinking about my next Luke’s lobster roll.

So fresh! This place is located right by work, and I stopped by around 3 pm (no line) to grab a crab roll ($ 13) and a grilled cheese and clam chowder for a coworker.
The crab roll was obviously fresh, with a chalkboard telling you where the seafood is sourced from that day. The bread was perfect– soft and buttery and about the size of a hot dog. Lightly seasoned with a bit of mayo. The amount of crab they stuff into the roll is enough for two rolls tbh. Solid quality and quantity. Also came with a pickle. yay.
The grilled cheese comes with either american or cheddar. Coworker reported that the clam chowder tasted «metal-y…like the sea». I suppose that’s a compliment?
Would return, especially for the lobster roll and wide selection of drinks (they have both alcoholic and non). Also the décor is super cute and the service was super duper nice.
P. S. they carry a daily flavor of bang bang pie. Key lime today, so i passed.

This is so good, and the staff makes it even better. I ordered the lobster roll and mayo-​less coleslaw. Just delicious. I can’t wait to go back.
The staff also talked me into a Maine Root blueberry soda, and it’s off the chain.
This place is a great find!

So I have been feigning for a Lobster roll but im allergic to Gluten. Which makes it a problem because everywhere I looked I had no luck.
Today, I discovered the first place in all of Chicago to have Gluten free Buns!
Not only that the buns are freaking amazing. If you have ever had GF buns they tend to be really dry and kind of gross.
The lobster was very fresh and yummy
Only downside is you are paying an extra $ 2 for a GF bun, so its almost $ 20 for a lobster roll.

I am a huge fan of lobster rolls as I have tried a good amount from different places throughout the city. I ordered 2 lobster roll and got one combo which comes with a bag of chips and soup. The total came out to be around $ 45. The lobster roll was okay for the most part, but the buttery roll that it came with gave this place an extra star. The clam chowder soup was also really good as I would definitely get this over the lobster bisque. You can request to taste both before purchasing which is nice. This place is a lot better than Da Lobsta, but I wouldn’t crave to come back here.

Looks like Da Lobsta has some competition here in Chicago with the lobster roll game. I first tried this place in NYC in a food court connected to Row Hotel back in the spring and I thought it was the best lobster roll I ever had.
I heard they were coming to Chicago and accidentally walked by the new location this morning and figured I would stop in for a roll. The place has lots of wood décor which is fine and is an intimate space as seating can be limited. I noticed the roll was $ 2 more here than in NYC ($ 14 NYC/​$ 16 Chicago) and was a bit smaller than what I remembered. I enjoyed the taste as I did in NY and I like that it comes with a pickle. They serve beer as well as other specialty soft drinks here. They offer shrimp and crab rolls as well. Staff is cool and fun and as I mentioned the roll is awesome. I recommend coming around 11:30 as the lunch line gets pretty long around noon, but the line moves steadily.

Remember being excited to try Luke’s at Bethesda Row but was too late as they had already closed for the day. First week of working back in downtown Chicago and looking for lunch today… Lo and behold found Luke’s right next door to my building.
Ordered the lobster roll combo with coleslaw, pickle and the blueberry soda for $ 20. Pretty pricey lunch but I had to try it. Lobster roll did not disappoint. They definitely do not skimp on the lobster meat, lobster did not drown in dressing/​mayo and the roll was so buttery and crispy at the same time. My first bite was so delicious that I totally forgot about my pickle but not the coleslaw which is the perfect side to the lobster roll.
I would definitely be back and asking the hubs out to meet me at Luke’s for lunch. Hands down one of the best lobster roll I have tasted.

$ 20 for a lobster sandwich combo. I know. Sounds pricey but fresh lobster outside of New England comes at a premium. And Luke’s provides a quality roll that is supports the price tag.
This sandwich made the Friday evening traffic commute bearable. So if you have to fight traffic and are in search for a highlight or if you are interested in a tasty lobster roll which huge pieces, this is your place. IMO, it runs circles around some other the other offerings in the downtown area.

I first tried Luke’s lobster roll ($ 16) in nyc, and every bite floored me with how f-​ing good it was. Thank gawd they came to Chicago because we sure as hell needed something better than Da Lobsta’s lamentable roll of $ 12.95 blah.
Extra credit points for having Bang Bang Pie Shop’s honey pie with blueberry compote ($ 3.50).

Such a welcome addition to the Loop! Stopped by for lunch and was so pleased!!! The lobster roll was delicious. Tons of sweet lobster, perfectly toasted buttery roll. The slaw was also pretty fantastic.
Only negative was the seating. It’s a small spot, with a few outside tables as well. The bummer was people stayed parked at their tables, clearly done eating, yapping away while people stood around with food looking for somewhere to sit and eat.

Came here before heading to the taste last week, not such a bad place.
The décor had a theme and it was really cute.
We had The Maine so that we can try it out. Unfortunate for us, they ran out of shrimp for the week due to the taste. Luckily, they replace our missing shrimp roll with a lobster roll. We even got an extra bag of chip on the house.
I enjoyed how each roll was overflowing with the stuffings inside but what disappointment was the lack of taste. I understand to allow the natural taste but other rolls I had in the past from other places add a little spice into it.
It was a tad bit pricey but it’s seafood so I’m not too shock. Can’t wait to try the shrimp roll next time.

Oh. So this is how lobster rolls should be.
No creamy salad-​like stuff for filler. Not a ginormous piece of bread. It comes in a box that looks like it would hold a standard-​sized hot dog, and when you open it you see a hot-​dog sized bun, and a whole lot of lobster.
Mostly whole lobster claws and nugget-​sized bites of lobster tail, and possibly clarified butter, and maybe some old bay seasoning. This, inside a slightly toasted bun. So, some real talk: these guys know how to cook lobster.
Boiled lobster can lean watery. This is not a concern at Luke’s, where the lobster tastes pure, may very well have been roasted (admittedly I’m not a lobster expert) and wasn’t stringy in the least.
It was so good that butter is the only thing that was needed. It was so good I didn’t care that the lobster was lukewarm-​to-​cool (and I suspect that’s by design). It was so good I barely acknowledged the presence of the vinegar-​based slaw and the blueberry soda (which I recommend!)
The meal set me back $ 18 plus tip, and it was worth every penny. It might take a bad lobster roll for you to see how good this one is… and while I don’t encourage people to go out and eat bad food, knowing what’s out there will help you understand why this lobster is perfect.

Good freakin’ golly I love a lobster roll. Know what I love the most? A delicious, non-mayo’d, non-celery’d, buttered bun’d roll packed full of delicious lobster. And that’s what Luke’s has.
I tried out one of the combos, lobster roll + coleslaw + pickle + drink. It was definitely a spendy lunch, but hey, it’s Friday; I ain’t got no job… and I ain’t got sh! t to do. Wait, that’s a lie. I definitely have a job & I most definitely have sh! t to do.
Either way… everything was delicious. I admit I do prefer a creamy coleslaw over the vinegary kind, so next time I might get chips instead, but the slaw was still tasty! I also had a blueberry soda, which was so weirdly good.
The space inside is very cute, albeit small. But, we took ours to-​go so it was no problem. It’d be great if they had outdoor seating for the summer, but I guess LaSalle wouldn’t be my first choice to sit outside for lunch, all the buses, etc. coming by!
I only leave off a star for $$ and size; the rolls seem tiny for a full meal, but I’m used to the gigantic ones at New England Seafood. If you love lobster/​crab/​shrimp, do yourself a favor & check out Luke’s. And be sure to grab a Buy-​10-​Get-​1-​Free punch card!

Luke’s in the Windy City!
I was torn between three and four stars but we tanked to three since I just read a review that included reference to a «punch card.» That was my idea! I’d actually written the first draft of my «Luke’s Chicago» review about how I was honorary marketing team
and could I be so bold as to offer two ideas…
One was the punch card — and now I feel like a dope! Or maybe a genius! but back to «dope» since there IS a loyalty punch card, but I never was offered one nor did I inquire, nor did I see anything about it when I was in last Friday. Was there one in DC too? Oh mercy, I’m O for two.
I’m sure everyone’s dying to hear my second idea and I don’t know if it’s because of the whole «Luke I am your lobster» themed review and because, as kids, we used to hold donuts to our head and pretend we were Princess Leias… but I’m pitching the idea for a «lobster crueler.» That’s right. With a light warm butter glaze. Or it could be that you, Luke’s Lobster on LaSalle, are just so close to my favorite donut shop and my two yummy universes went bonkers together last Friday. I say, «lobster crueler punch cards, for all!!» (and Chewbacca roars.)
I can get by without the crueler though because your buns are really just that yummy and well-​executed. The whole roll was on the mark, Luke. Meat from 5 – 6 claws and traceable at that! (Mine came from Portland, ME.) The same simple style without too much mayo or any celery or anything to interfere with the good taste of fresh lobster — just the lightest of your special seasoning to bring out the flavor. You got me there. I do wonder how the crab and shrimp rolls taste and I will have to keep wondering for awhile since your lobster is just that good.
As expected on a new business roll-out…service had a few glitches. Example: my number was shouted (and there was only myself and one other table who’d gotten an order in) but my roll went walking over there and though I was signaling, somehow the runner wasn’t heads-​up enough about looking around the small space. (Hel-​lo! Over here, by the window.) I even got out of my seat but she was kind of intent on handing off that roll to the table nearest the counter. (This is just one of my peeves — seeing my food go off to others. Obviously, small enough space here it didn’t go back and sit on a counter waiting, but again, small enough that this kind of error shouldn’t occur.) It seemed there were a lot of workers but also a bit of chaos — one person not knowing that you can’t do ice water, but the other stepping up and suggesting just cold tap water…“would that be OK.” Perfect!
Like I said, just a couple service hiccups so this was going to be four stars but I have to dock on that punch card deal. It would seem one of the first things off the lips and to the ears of the new lobster-​hungry customer. Of course I want a punch card! It makes me feel like my business is really appreciate and it lets me rationalize getting two rolls for lunch next time.
I look forward to visiting again! and yes, again! Punch me!

It pains me to give this rating because I had such high hopes for this restaurant. I went on the third day after opening. It started with my coworker asking me, «What’s for lunch?» and me responding, «Luke’s Lobster!!!» My coworker was hesitant, but my sales pitch managed to drag him over to Luke’s Lobster finally.
The layout of the restaurant isn’t exactly the most efficient when it’s really busy. People don’t wait in a straight line to place their orders. It’s almost awkwardly zig-​zagged from the cash register to the front door. There isn’t a designated waiting area, so you’ll have people waiting all over the place (which can be confused with people waiting in line to place their orders). Altogether, the wait from ordering and getting the food was about 40 minutes during peak lunch hour.
I ordered the lobster roll combo, which came with the coleslaw, pickle and drink (I chose the lemon lime soda), and everything came out to almost $ 20.
NOTE: ****When you order take-​out, make sure to check your bags before you walk away!****
When I got my bag, I glanced inside and noticed there wasn’t much. It was a small container with a pickle. Luckily, my coworker said to check if my coleslaw was in there because it turned out it wasn’t there! I asked one of the employees if this was my order because I had the combo. That’s when she said, «Oh! Sorry about that. Here you go.» and handed over my coleslaw.
The lobster was really fresh and succulent. I love how there were big chunks of it in the roll. I give props for the coleslaw not being drowned in mayo and instead is vinegar-​based. However, the coleslaw was definitely underwhelming. The pickle was fine but doesn’t complement the flavor of the lobster well. I loved the lemon lime soda though.
I understand you’re paying for quality and not quantity. You’re not going to be full from this meal if you’re a garbage disposal when it comes to food like me. If you’re going for lunch, make sure you have a big breakfast. Going for dinner? Then have a big lunch.
I feel bad to disappoint my coworker. One good thing came out of it though! I got to keep his frequent buyer card because he’s never going back. :D
I thought I was going to become poor from dining here too often, but looks like I won’t have to worry about that!

The highlight of my day yesterday was finding out via Facebook that Chicago is now a proud home of Luke’s Lobster and then 4 hours later walking into the place for my absolute fave lobster roll ever!
To fully appreciate the beauty of Luke’s lobster roll, you have to appreciate all the things it is not. It is not swimming in mayo, it is not drowning in greasy butter or special sauce, and it is not masked by diced celery. To appreciate what it is, you need to get your booty over to 134 N. Lasalle, shell over $ 15, and see for yourself! The combination of the chilled juicy lobster meat (from the claws of 5 – 6 Maine lobsters!), perfect combination of seasoning, and buttered, lightly toasted bread are to die for.
One thing LL can say that not everyone can claim is that their lobbies are traceable! They’re shipped fresh from Maine, there is no middle man, and the origin of your meat is announced on a chalkboard (Portland yesterday).
Crab and shrimp are also on the menu, but it’s not called Luke’s Crab or Luke’s Shrimp, so I think you know what to order first. Bonus: Bang Bang pie shop sells their honey pie with blueberry compote here!
I’m going to rock that frequent buyer punch card (buy 10, get 1 free)… and probably have to recalculate my budget as a result!